Slow Down Skin Aging

None of us wants to look older than we are, but it can often feel like we’re fighting against our skin in our quest to look youthful. Plastic surgeons and cosmetic companies promise miracle cures that can help in the fight against aging skin, but there are plenty of things you can do on your own—often for free—to keep your skin looking younger. Learn how to turn back the signs of aging on your skin.

Protect Your Skin from Sun Damage

You’ve probably heard it before. Repeated sun exposure eventually leads to brown spots, fine wrinkles, deeper creases, and sagging skin, all of which make you look older. Unfortunately, many of us ignore this wisdom when we’re younger. But it’s never too late to start protecting your skin from sun damage, and you may even be able to take back some of the years you’ve given to sun exposure.

Wear sunscreen constantly. Look for sunscreens that contain UVA filters like Mexoryl and Helioplex, as well as antioxidants like vitamins C and E and pomegranate extract, which help neutralize the damage caused by UV light.

In addition to wearing sunscreen, try avoiding direct contact with midday rays, which are the most damaging. Wear a hat and sunglasses when you’re out in the sun. Those sunglasses will not only protect your eyes and the skin around your eyes from sun damage, they’ll help prevent wrinkles by making you less likely to squint.

Within six months of protecting your skin from the sun, you should notice that your skin appears smoother and more even-toned. Some experts say you can take off as many as five years from your appearance with good sun protection. But remember that this isn’t a permanent change; you have to continue protecting skin daily or you’ll redo the damage and bring back those signs of aging.

Smooth Lines with Retinoids

Believe it or not, some wrinkle creams really can help smooth the fine lines on your face. Find a lotion that contains retinol, which has been proven to help soften the look of fine lines and brown spots by increasing collagen production and normalizing skin-cell activity. The most effective retinol creams come with a prescription, but over-the-counter varieties work also—it just may take a little longer to see results.

The downside to using retinoids is that they can cause redness or peeling skin. Dermatologists recommend using it at night and trying an “every other night” routine to allow your skin to build up a tolerance. Consistent use can take as many as seven years off the appearance of your skin.

Load Up on Antioxidants

Cosmetic and skincare companies often talk about “powerful antioxidants” that create younger looking skin, but is that just marketing jargon? Actually, antioxidants really can give you younger looking skin because they neutralize free radicals, the particles in skin that cause sun damage and wrinkles and can lead to skin cancer. While it’s not clear whether antioxidants can actually reverse skin damage, it has been proven that antioxidants can give you a brighter complexion with more even skin tone.

For best results, you should ingest and topically apply products that contain antioxidants. Look for foods and cosmetic creams that contain vitamins C and E, pomegranate, idebenone, soy, green tea, niacinamide, and coenzyme Q10. Unfortunately, you probably won’t see results from antioxidants instantly, no matter how expensive your skin cream is. It usually takes about six months for antioxidants to make a visible difference in your skin.

Get Plenty of Sleep

While most of us know that one night of poor sleep can have an immediate effect on appearance, you may not realize that habitually poor sleep patterns can do long-term damage to your skin. Fatigue causes a rise in the stress hormone known as cortisol, which can break down the collagen in your skin and make you look older. For younger looking skin, try setting a bed time and winding down about an hour before you plan to fall asleep by reading, having sex, or watching lighthearted TV.